Cries Behind the Graduation Gown: Student Pressure and Toxic Environments

By: Masayu Yasmin Mumtaz
Digital Office Management Student, Universitas Airlangga

JurnalPost.com - The world of higher education is often portrayed as one of the most exciting phases of life. Students have the opportunity to explore themselves, expand their social circles, develop skills, and pave the way toward their dream careers.

However, this image does not always reflect the reality experienced by every student.

Behind the graduation gowns, classrooms, campus organizations, and various academic achievements, some students must face significant emotional pressure. Academic burdens, family demands, peer environments, and anxiety about the future can converge to impact an individual's psychological well-being.

Pressure Comes from Many Directions

One pressure closely tied to student life is family expectation. Many students navigate university life under high demands from their parents, ranging from the choice of major, grade targets, and graduation timelines to the ideal job they are expected to land after finishing their education.

Parental hope can certainly be a form of support. However, when hope turns into demands without considering a child's abilities, interests, and condition, it can become a psychological burden.

Pressure can also arise from peer environments.

In the era of social media, it is increasingly easy for students to compare their lives with others. Seeing friends achieve accolades, participate in exchange programs, secure internships at major companies, run businesses, or land jobs before graduation sometimes leads to internal questioning: Why haven't I reached that point yet?

Such comparisons can become even heavier if students are in an unhealthy social circle. Derogatory jokes, bullying, exclusion, and comments regarding academic performance or personal life can have a much greater impact than is visible.

Not to mention academic issues.

Piling coursework, exams, research, theses, organizational duties, the pressure to graduate on time, and worries about entering the workforce are a series of pressures that often occur simultaneously.

As they approach graduation, students also face uncertainty about the future. Questions about employment, financial conditions, career paths, and life choices can trigger anxiety often associated with the quarter-life crisisphase.

When Problems Are Bottled Up

The situation becomes more complicated because discussions about mental health are still frequently met with stigma.

Some students are reluctant to share the problems they are experiencing for fear of being considered weak, dramatic, ungrateful, or attention-seeking. Others choose to remain silent because they do not want to add to the burden of parents who have already financed their education.

Yet, bottling up problems for a long time does not mean they disappear.

Accumulated pressure can affect daily activities, social relationships, academic performance, sleep patterns, and one's ability to live life normally.

In certain conditions, an individual needs support from those closest to them or professional help.

Therefore, the response to someone experiencing psychological distress should not be one of judgment. Simple actions like listening seriously, not trivializing their problems, and helping them connect with professional services can mean a great deal.

Suicide Remains a Global Issue

Mental health issues and suicide prevention are also global concerns.

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that suicide remains a global public health issue. Young people are also a group that requires serious attention in prevention efforts.

This situation highlights the importance of providing a safe space for individuals to seek help before their psychological state develops into a crisis.

Every September 10, the world commemorates World Suicide Prevention Day . This commemoration aims to raise awareness about the importance of suicide prevention while encouraging society to reduce the stigma against those experiencing mental health issues.

However, a commemoration is certainly not enough if it is not followed by a change in attitude in daily life.

The UB Student Incident and the Issue of Empathy

Attention to this issue resurfaced after a student at Universitas Brawijaya, identified by the initials RR (19), was reported to have been involved in an incident suspected to be a suicide attempt on September 10, 2026.

The student subsequently received assistance and underwent medical treatment for the injuries sustained.

The event became even more concerning when a number of derogatory and unempathetic comments about the victim appeared.

Such comments reveal an issue no less important than academic or family pressure: the lack of social empathy toward someone in a vulnerable state.

Someone facing psychological pressure does not need mockery. They need an environment capable of listening, understanding, and helping.

Bullying, even when disguised as a joke, can worsen a person's condition. This is especially true when such comments are directed at someone already facing an emotional crisis.

Therefore, cases like this should serve as a collective reflection. Universities are responsible not only for creating an environment that supports academic achievement but also for fostering a social environment that is safe for all students.

Campuses Must Be Safe Spaces

Higher education institutions play a crucial role in maintaining the psychological well-being of students.

First, campuses need to provide psychological counseling services that are easy to find and access. Students also need assurance that seeking help will not lead to stigmatization.

Second, campuses need to have clear mechanisms for handling bullying, whether it occurs in person or through social media.

The academic environment also needs to allow for a more humanistic approach. Achievement is important, but students are more than just their grade point average, number of publications, or length of study.

There is a human being behind every academic achievement.

Lecturers, academic staff, and study program administrators also hold strategic positions as they are often the first to notice changes in student behavior.

Sensitivity toward students who are suddenly absent, experiencing a drastic decline in academic performance, or showing behavioral changes can be the first step in offering help.

Parents Need to Learn to Listen

Families also play a major role.

Not every problem a child has requires advice the second they start sharing. Sometimes, a person just needs a space to express what they are feeling without being immediately compared, blamed, or lectured.

Two-way communication is essential.

Parents may have hopes for their child's future, but those hopes should be discussed while considering the child's abilities and choices.

Sentences like, "How are you feeling?" or "What can we do to help?" can be far more meaningful than questions focused solely on grades, graduation, or jobs.

Students Also Need to Look Out for Each Other

Peer environments are a layer of protection that is just as important.

We may not be able to solve all of a friend's problems. However, we can choose not to make them worse.

Being a good listener, avoiding derogatory comments, accompanying a friend to seek professional help, or simply ensuring they are not facing difficult times alone is a tangible form of care.

Social sensitivity must be a part of campus life.

Higher education should not only produce students who are academically superior but also human beings capable of respecting and understanding their peers.

Ultimately, mental health is part of overall human health.

Seeking help when facing pressure is not something to be ashamed of. On the contrary, the courage to admit that one needs help is an important step in self-care.

It is time for campus environments, families, and society to stop using mental health issues as a subject for mockery.

Behind the graduation gown that looks so proud, there may be someone struggling hard to get through their day.

What is needed is not judgment, but a safe space to be heard, understood, and to receive help.

Source:

Husna, R. (2026, September 10). Recklessly jumping from the 6th floor of the faculty building, UB student suffers injuries, indications of suicide. AFU.id.

World Health Organization. (2026, August 28). Suicide.

International Association for Suicide Prevention. (2025, June 2). New WHO suicide data reaffirms urgent need for global prevention efforts.